STATE TRACK PREVIEW: GC’s Schmadeke unmatched in 1A

May 16, 2012

GRUNDY CENTER - It's a double that no one else in Class 1A will be doing this weekend.

There are only three boys competitors at the Iowa Co-ed State Track and Field Championships that will be running in both the 100-meter dash and 110-meter hurdles, one of those is Grundy Center senior Nathan Schmadeke.

Schmadeke is a championship contender in both as he has the No. 2-qualifying time in the 110 hurdles and is fourth in the 100.

Earlier this season at the Drake Relays, Schmadeke was a finalist in the hurdles and finished seventh.

"Nathan's had a tremendous year and he's just kept building," said Grundy Center head coach Brandon Krusey. "Getting down to Drake was a big confidence booster for him. He's really come along in that race and I think it's a race he really looks forward to night in and night out.

"Things that have helped him throughout his career are he's been a big weight room guy for the last few years and that's gotten him a lot stronger and a lot faster. His 100 speed has come around so much better and that has carried him."

Schmadeke, who will play football collegiately at Wayne State in Nebraska, also has grown with the help of assistant coach Chris Henely, a former Spartan that ran the hurdles at the University of Northern Iowa.

"You can't beat having an experienced guy like that to help him out, no doubt about that," Krusey said.

Schmadeke's best time this season in the 110s was 14.50 seconds in Dike. He went 15.01 in the finals at the Drake Relays and put up a 14.94 to win last Thursday's state-qualifier.

In the 100, Schmadeke won the state-qualifier with at 11.26 clocking. His season-best is 11.02.

"Out of the blocks he's been very good," Krusey said. "We weren't sure if we were going to run him in the open or not and as it's progressed he really came through and put down some great times. He's come within two hundredths of a second of our open 100 record twice now. I know he's really looking forward to trying to get that record."

Schmadeke will be in four events at the blue oval, running the anchor leg in both the shuttle hurdle and 4x100.

Yale Alexia is an individual qualifier in the 800 and final runner on the Spartans' 4x800 relay. Dylan Lyman is in the long jump.